Paramount in today’s busy world where there appear to be more cars than people. Our roads are busier, our streets are narrower, and our traffic is bumper to bumper. This makes our car safety ratings even more important to consider when purchasing a car. All of the vehicle manufacturers are also conscious about safety, continuing to add more and more technologically advanced features to keep you safe.

Hyundai is one of the main auto manufacturers that offers many of these safety features are standard on their vehicles. Hyundai poses this question to customers: “What is a better way to deal with accidents?” The answer is “Don’t have them.” Both standard and optional features on Hyundai vehicles include Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Control and Traction Control.

Also, luckily for the safety conscious buyer, Hyundai cars and SUVS are some of the highest ranked for overall safety ratings. Many Hyundai vehicles have earned top safety ratings in many categories: for example, the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, Genesis sedan, and Sonata have all won the 2016 NHTSA’s 5-star overall safety rating.

Two major entities exist that are recognized by manufacturers, dealers and advertising agencies to accurately measure car safety ratings: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA).

The IIHS is a nonprofit created in 1959 and funded primarily by auto manufacturers to reduce the total number of vehicle crashes, injuries and all property damage associated with auto crashes. The NHTSA is actually an agency that operates in tandem with the IIHS, but is a government agency under the Department of Transportation. Both organizations are considered two of the best for understanding and assigning proper values to your car safety ratings, allowing consumers to compare different vehicle brands on an even scale.

The NHTSA works on a five-star scale: five stars is the best possible score possible in every category. The Safety Rating program was created so that consumers would be able to quickly and easily be informed of the vehicle’s crashworthiness, crash avoidance and other areas that account for the overall safety of vehicles. Five stars is the highest rating in any given category, and the categories do not add up, so a car with a 10-star rating is not possible.

Categories Tested by NHTSA:

Frontal Crash Safety Ratings

The frontal crash rating is broken into two parts: a driver seating and passenger position rating. There is also an overall frontal crash safety rating provided by the NHTSA which is the number most generally seen. This rating is considered the quickest way to communicate the safety of a given vehicle to potential customers for a particular crash type.

Side Crash Safety Ratings

Another crash test that receives star ratings from NHTSA is the side crash. This rating has both a front seat position rating as well as a rating for the rear seating position for barrier crashes. When one is shown, the other is shown as well, and there is also the overall side barrier crash safety rating for a quick reference for shoppers. This is an important category to consider when purchasing your new Hyundai because this car safety rating is usually a focus of parents for their children’s overall safety.

There is also a side pole crash rating that follows the same rules. The NHTSA combines results from both tests to achieve and overall side crash test rating for the front as well as the rear seats. The overall rating is represented as the overall side crash safety rating, and if the NHTSA deems that there is a significant difference between the left and right side, the ratings will be reflected as __ star rating only applies to the driver’s or passenger’s side.

Rollover Safety Rating

There is also a category of star rating that involves a vehicle’s rollover safety rating. This is a single rating, rather than front, rear, driver and passenger side ratings like the other categories.

Overall Vehicle Score

The overall vehicle score is the accumulation of the overall ratings from frontal and side crash tests as well as the rollover safety rating. Again, the highest overall vehicle score achievable is that of five stars total.

To learn more about Hyundai’s car safety ratings and to have one of our friendly sales associates help you pick out your next vehicle, call or visit Phil Long Hyundai of Chapel Hills today!

The 2017 Super Bowl Date begins in less than a few days on February 5th, at 6:30 PM ET.

By now you’ve probably stocked up on your Bud Light Patriots or Falcons beer, too many pots of homemade chili, countless bags of chips to go with your salsa, and you’ve even perfected your game day face-paint. No matter who you are rooting for this year, chances are, we are all coming together to watch two teams make history once again, but we ask you this year to keep some tissues nearby.

But maybe you don’t like to watch football as much as you love the performances and the commercials attached to them. If you’re one of those people out there who watches the Super Bowl just for the commercials, and we know there are a lot of you out there, prepare for some wonderful Super Bowl news and a commercial that may pull on your heart strings. No this doesn’t have to do with Lady Gaga’s Halftime show performance, although, we’re sure she’ll move you in some way too.

Hyundai is filming their ad for the Super Bowl, but it’s not like the one last year featuring Kevin Hart and the new Hyundai Genesis. In fact, it may not be geared very much toward a vehicle at all. Inspired by the love of football and the love of the military, Hollywood Director, Peter Berg of “Friday Night Lights,” plans to bring the true reality of this year’s Super Bowl to three lucky people on the other side of the world.

When Hyundai Motor America’s Eric Springer told the NFL their plan for this year’s Super Bowl commercial, their response was, “Yeah, it makes total sense.” Their plan was to film the commercial after kick-off at an undisclosed location overseas, where they have prepared a rather kickass party for a few lucky soldiers in a battalion of the U.S. Army.

In a room decked out with massive TVs, mics, cords, cameras, and probably every other tech you can think of, Hyundai will be giving three soldiers the opportunity to watch the Super Bowl as if they are sitting in the luxury box at NRG Stadium. They plan to use 360-degree immersive pods to make them feel like they are physically present at the game, and honestly, what football lover would turn that down?

Filming will begin almost immediately after kick-off and is estimated to take an hour and 15 minutes to film and edit this 90-second ad. Once approved by FOX, NFL, and the military, the commercial will air as the confetti drops from the stadium ceilings.

Last year, Hyundai won USA Today’s Ad Meter and the commercial featured a nervous dad, Kevin Hart, loaning out his Hyundai Genesis to the young man taking out his daughter. In 2016, Dean Evans, the marketing officer for Hyundai was looking for ways to make people laugh with the brand. This year, he questions again how to get people to connect with the brand, “You have to come to the game and make people either laugh or cry,“ he said. “You really have to entertain them. They really expect, more than ever before, to be moved.”

And that is exactly what they are looking at accomplishing this year. Last year, Hyundai made you laugh, and this year, Hyundai will make you cry by showing you the once in a lifetime moments of happiness given to the few military men who are overseas working to keep our country safe. Hyundai is taking a huge part to show their appreciation for the military for giving our nation our many freedoms, and their vision has been in the works almost since the end of last year’s Super Bowl.

Hyundai, who is gaining significant attention for their innovative commercial (which will not qualify for the USA Today Ad meter), is thrilled to be creating a commercial that appeals to all sides of the nation’s political divide, despite the current division happening within the states. There are many things that bring us together, and the Super Bowl is one of them, despite what some would say.

So, there you have it, Hyundai will be filming their commercial in real time, with our beloved military at the forefront, so grab your tissues, hold tight to your loved ones and prepare for something sweet and moving.

He hopped into the front seat of the vehicle, his mother climbing into the passenger seat beside him. He had nothing but a smile on his face. Even though he just spent all of his savings on this new car and he had nothing left, he didn’t care because he finally had a car; he had freedom. Sure, the paint was fading a little, and the seats had some wear and tear, but the engine was sturdy, there weren’t too many miles on it, and it was finally his. But did he know the responsibilities that came with a new car, the amount of maintenance that he had to do from time to time? Perhaps he did, perhaps he didn’t and surely his mother told him to do his research.

One missed oil change could change everything about his first exciting day with his car and turn his life into a nightmare. Now’s the time to get educated about one of the simplest ways to care for your car and keep money in your pocket, so listen up!

Nothing is more exciting than buying a new car or a used car and finally having that little sense of freedom to drive wherever your heart pleases you or complete daily tasks independently. We have all experienced that freeing sense that comes with owning a car and losing our vehicle for even a day could be crippling for us. It’s important to take care of our vehicles no matter the cost and one of the most cost-effective ways to care for your vehicle begins with a simple oil change.

I’m sure your vehicle comes with an owner’s manual, if it doesn’t, it’s best to get on the internet and find one. It will tell you everything you need to know about caring for your vehicle, because you do want to take care of it, almost like you would take care of relationships or take care of pets. This is your baby.

Here we will tell you why you need an oil change, how to check your oil, how to add oil, and where to change oil. This little bit of information will go a long way in helping you save your money and keep your engine healthy.

Why Should We Change Our Oil?

Our engines are made up of hundreds of moving parts. These parts are constantly moving and they are moving against each other causing friction and causing them to overheat. Oil is beneficial to your engine because it lubricates these moving parts, absorbs heat, prevents the moving parts from overheating, and contains additives that neutralize acids. Oil also has the ability to absorb water, dust, and combustion.

Basically, over time, the oil wears down, stops saturating particles that could affect your engine, leaves the harmful things in your engine, and stops lubricating those moving parts effectively.

When and How to Check Your Oil.

All engines contain an area where you can check your oil, and an instrument called a “dipstick” that allows you to measure your oil, and it’s an incredibly easy task to complete. First, refer to your owner’s manual to help you locate the dipstick. Your owner’s manual will also provide you with instructions on how t
o measure whether or not your engine has enough oil. Generally, it is appropriate to check your oil every few hundred miles just in case you have leaks.

To check your oil, first, identify if your engine should be hot or cold when checking the oil. Sometimes the best time to check your oil is at the gas station once you have filled up but refer to your manual to be sure. Pull the dipstick out of the oil well and wipe it clean with a Scott Shop Towel. (Note: Do not use a regular paper towel at the gas station. Fibers could attach themselves to your dipstick and compromise your engine.) Once you have wiped the dipstick clean, place it all the back into the oil well. Pull the dipstick back out, and you will get a reading, generally the level of the oil will fall between notches on the dipstick. If this is so, your oil is fine, if your oil falls below the recommended level, add oil accordingly. If the oil is well about the notches, you have too much oil in your engine.

When Should You Change Your Oil?

This really depends on your vehicle. Older models and engines may need to change their oil more frequently whereas, vehicles that use a synthetic oil can wait a long while between oil changes. The recommended time for oil changes are every 3,000 miles. Typically, your service center will attach a sticker on the inside of your windshield telling you when your next recommended oil change is.

Where Should You Change Your Oil?

Hyundai Chapel Hills has oil change services and regularly offers their customers discounts if they come in and get an oil change service with us. Visit the Hyundai Chapel Hills Services to learn more about our oil change services and find great deals and special for oil changes! Hyundai Chapel Hills is a name you can trust and offers quick services.

Don’t wait on your oil change, educate your teenager on the importance of getting an oil change and take care of your vehicle. Call or visit us at Hyundai Chapel Hills to schedule and oil change and get the services you need.

Used Cars don’t always have the fresh factory capabilities of a car you just drove off the lot. Chances are if you have a few more miles on your car and many other minor quirks that will require more maintenance than the newer cars. This means keeping up on your car, especially when it comes to driving in the winter.

We don’t know what to expect this winter, and quite frankly it’s the warmest one we’ve seen in a while. However, with snow on Pikes Peak, we are predicting a storm or two in the future. It’s best to prepare your used car for the winter to keep it as reliable as possible so you can feel confident going about your daily tasks.

Whether you are buying from a dealership or a private party, investigate the history of the vehicle and the work that may need to be done to keep it in ship shape. Your safety and the safety of your loved ones is very important so put that first with our list of 8 Tips to Keep Your Used Car Healthy This Winter.

Check Your Owner’s Manual. Your owners manual will tell you which parts of your car should be serviced and when. It can also give you information on how to care for your car during the seasons.

Make sure your tires are winter-safe! If you are due for a tire change, don’t delay. New tires could be the difference between you and your car going on an unwanted slide through the snow. Depending on the weather and amount of snow you experience each year, all-season tires may be your best bet.

Add Heet® to your vehicle’s gas tank. Heet® is a solution you add to your fuel that sinks to the bottom of your tank and mixes with water collected at the bottom. This prevents your gas line and fuel pump from freezing when you start and drive your car.

Replace wiper blades and fluid. Choosing the winter windshield washer fluid is helpful for that little bit of frost that collects on your windshield each morning. But it won’t work as well without a good set of wiper blades. Prepare for blizzards and have the best visibility while on the road.

Regularly check your oil and change when necessary. In the winter, your oil can thicken, and this makes it harder for your car to turn over on a cold morning. If you just purchased a used car, changing your oil is a good idea as well. When changing your oil, make sure servicemen use multi-viscosity oil with “W” in the viscosity index. This means the oil is designed for winter use.

Check your Heater and Defroster. Nothing is worse than getting in a car on a cold morning and discovering your heater doesn’t work. No matter how long the drive to work is, when you’re teeth are chattering the whole way, it can ruin your mood and your morning. Make sure everything is functioning well and check frequently.

Check your Battery. Car batteries can take quite the hit in the winter. At 0°- ish temperatures, a battery can have only half the cranking power it needs to start a car. While your battery is powerful, check it frequently to make sure you don’t get stranded and make sure it has enough power to get your and our day started.

Brake Check. With slippery roads on the cusp of arrival, making sure you have sturdy brakes could keep you out of a simple fender bender or a dangerous car accident. If you’re getting your oil changed, or brand new tires, brake checks often are checked for free.

Need help gearing up for the winter season? Visit us at Phil Long Hyundai at Chapel Hills, and we can provide you with all services listed above to keep your used car healthy this winter.

There is frost on the pumpkins, football on television, and you’re already wearing a jacket in the mornings. Before you know it, the snow will be falling. Are you ready? Is your car? Our winters can’t be ignored, and you don’t want to be caught unprepared. There are several steps you can take to get your car ready for those icy, snowy roads.

Start by checking your wiper blades. You should be swapping them out at least twice a year, or more often if needed. As soon as they aren’t working as well, it’s time.

Check your car’s fluid levels every time your oil is changed. It’s always a good idea to check the frequently used fluids, like windshield wiper fluid, before the flakes start falling. There are windshield wiper fluids available with de-icers and rain repellants that can improve your winter visibility.

Help your tires get the best traction by verifying that they are properly inflated, recently rotated, and still have decent tread left. If you swap out for winter tires, it’s a lot easier to take care of that before you need it.

When was your last alignment? If you can’t remember, you’re probably due. Our potholes mean you will need alignment more often, and it’s the best way to extend the life of your tires.

Check your battery, belts, and hoses for wear, and replace as needed. If you are following your manufacturer’s suggested maintenance schedule, this will already be happening, and it’s a lot safer to replace these before they fail.

Restock your car’s emergency kit. While roadside help is typically a phone call away, what happens if you are in an area with no coverage, or have forgotten your phone? You can purchase a kit or make your own. At a minimum, have replacement fluids such as windshield wiper fluid and coolant, paper towels or wipes, a flashlight, and ice and snow removal tools. You should also include blankets, water, and shelf stable emergency food. Jerky, dried fruit, protein bars, and granola bars would all work.

Finally, take a look at how you drive, as simple changes like allowing an adequate braking distance can keep you and everyone else on the road safer. Give snow plows and maintenance vehicles plenty of room, and drive cautiously and courteously. If you slow down your acceleration and increase speed more gradually, it allows your tires to get better traction.

You can do the maintenance listed above yourself, or you can contact us here at Phil Long Hyundai of Chapel Hills Service Center and we’d be happy to take care of it for you. No matter your make or model, we can get you ready for our next Colorado winter. Contact us and schedule your appointment today.

If your mom was anything like my brother’s and mine growing up, she searched for ways to get you out of the house over summer vacation! In hindsight, I cannot blame her. We were in our more formative years, and she wanted to make sure that our growth would not cease for three months just because our formal education did. The Game Boy Advance was also at the height of its popularity, and the risk of us thumb-tapping our summer away was more imminent than we would have cared to admit.

We resided in a notoriously reclusive neighborhood. As our best friends on the block made a piecemeal pilgrimage to other communities, our family sought recreation in the local area. Fortunately for us, Bear Creek Nature Center was a reasonable distance from home. Their week-long children’s day camp provided a literal breath of fresh air.

Nature center employees would give educational presentations, conduct games, and even perform a conservation-themed puppet show at one point. It was like school without tests, which I was fine with. Groups of us kids were allowed to roam the park with adult guides, and even play in the stream. We were prohibited from drinking creek water, however, because of a bacterium whose name none of us could pronounce at the time. One boy found a few flakes of gold, declaring himself a bona fide 49er over lunch break. On Friday, campers and their families would gather in a multipurpose room for a slideshow recap of the week’s events. (I specifically remember part of the presentation being set to “Time of Your Life” by Green Day, as if the occasion were a cheesy graduation or something!)

Rose-colored glasses may play a role in my recollections; I am willing to admit that much. For this past weekend’s hike, I decided to hop in my Hyundai Santa Fe, and rediscover the park for myself. Spoilers: almost nothing had changed. From the amiable employees to the captive bee colony, the nature center had apparently been frozen in time. After a quick survey of its miniature museum, I hit the trail. More specifically, I hit Creekbottom Loop for the first time in years.

My path from this weekend is traced in orange. (I’ll catch you next time, Coyote Gulch Loop.)

Trees and shrubbery, fed by the park’s namesake, greeted me with outstretched limbs. Most of the Creekbottom Loop’s lower half can best be described as a forest parade procession, with the hikers as the marching band and the greenery as the jostling crowd. Vegetation near the stream can be moderately dense, especially for those who plan on making the trip side-by-side with hiking companions.

Fittingly enough, travelling upward on the map coincided with an increase in altitude. Forest leafage gradually gave way to tall grasses as I neared the intersection of Creekbottom Loop and Coyote Gulch Loop. At this point I had a decision to make. While I had previously planned to walk all three loops in the park, an overcast sky gave me reason to hesitate. Coyote Gulch Loop spanned an open field – not the best place to be stranded during a thunderstorm. When a few sprinkles of rain hit my shirt, I took that as a sign from God to start wrapping things up.

I began to trek down Mountain Scrub Loop. Creekbottom’s manicured terrain had clearly spoiled me for the morning, because the relatively rocky descent took me by mild surprise. Some creative footwork was required on my part. From a kid’s perspective: it is just tricky enough to be a challenge, but far from perilous. Before I knew it, I was back in the parking lot, wanting more.

Yes. Bear Creek Nature Center does, in fact, hold up. Everything is obviously smaller from my newfound adult perspective, but their charm factor remains. Taxidermed critters and informational displays within the facility give hikers an indication of what to look out for. Thriving plants and a variety of observable animals greet them outside (under the right conditions, of course). Trail maps are common, functioning like training wheels for novice navigators. People like me, who need a “You Are Here” sign every hundred yards, will certainly appreciate them. It is Colorado hiking – set to level one. I hope to tackle some more challenging trails this summer, but I am satisfied for the time being with Bear Creek Park’s quaint beauty.

My immediate view from the main parking lot, and a precursor of things to come.

In my previous post, I alluded to a weekend hike being planned by some coworkers. I was tentative at first, because accepting the invitation would create a weekend schedule conflict. Writing the first post, however, gave me time to reflect. Procrastination and the prospect of a more solitary weekend were tempting, but eventually my inner wayfarer prevailed. I rearranged my weekend itinerary – on Friday afternoon no less – and was able to make the rendezvous at Red Rocks Canyon Open Space. (Just to clarify: the canyon we explored was Red Rocks Canyon in Colorado – between Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs – not to be confused with Red Rock Canyon in Canada.)

Fortunately for our hiking posse, that morning’s weather was in our favor. Partial cloud cover provided shade without threat of storms. Recent rainfall had left the ground just damp enough to be soft. The park’s eponymous red rock formations were blanketed in a healthy layer of foliage. We were able to experience the best of both spring and summer.

The Red Rocks Canyon map, with every available trail laid out, was posted near the parking lot. Our group’s path has been traced in orange (It vaguely resembles a heart, right?).

From the main parking lot, our group meandered up to Red Rock Canyon Trail. The first leg of our excursion took us through the multi-purpose section of the park. Picnic benches and a pavilion had been set up for events. A tranquil lake sat behind it. Across the path, rock climbers scaled the smooth faces of slanted formations. Bands of other hikers and their respective canine companions greeted us as we ascended into the quarry.

I wanted to stop here for more pictures. The group kept trekking onward.My immediate view from the main parking lot, and a precursor of things to come.

Our course then diverted into my favorite section: Quarry Pass Trail. Perhaps the quarry was my favorite feature because it splits the difference between nature and civilization. Someone, at some point, had shaved the formations, causing them to more closely resemble terraced apartment complexes. A set of stone steps had even been carved into a relatively sheer slope. The quarry exhibited nature in a half-tamed state, and was a welcome change of pace.

It was also brief. Quarry Pass Trail wrapped around a small peak. As we followed it, we plunged into a tunnel of greenery. We soon emerged from the other side, and were afforded a birds-eye view by the combined altitude of the small peak and the quarry itself. It was all downhill from there, but in a pleasant way.

The panoramic view from the apex of Quarry Pass Trail

We caught the Mesa Trail on the way down. Several minor offshoot trails wove in and out of our path. A few from our group opted relish the journey by selectively deviating from the main way. The plant life gradually thinned out along our descent. An invigorating combination of fresh air, adrenaline, and relief drifted through us as the parking lot became visible. We had completed our circuit through the canyon’s heart. Hopefully my Red Rocks Canyon experience will set a precedent for this summer of trekking.